Thanks to the lovely people over at Vauxhall, the Oval and Kennington I found out about this wonderful event, with a rare opportunity to view the Lambeth Palace Gardens. Lots of family friendly activities too! Entry is via the garden gate facing the river.

The 18th fete to be run by the community for the community. So much fun going on you must check out their website! They even have a Kids Zone with lots of fantastic activities for your little ones! Plus all money raised goes to local charities - marvellous!

CoolTan Arts opens its doors for a fun filled afternoon with four free workshops and the official opening of their new exhibition. The Mad Hatter's Tea Party is part of the Anxiety Arts Festival, challenging the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. Head over to support a great charity.

If you fancy a day at the park then why not head to the bandstand for your refreshments; tea and coffee, cakes and raffle tickets, the money all goes to a wonderful charity.

If you're there in the afternoon then you can catch Southwark Concert Band A's varied programme of rousing marches, Broadway and West End show tunes and modern interpretations of classic works - @ 3pm.

It's their Summer Market and it's happening every Sunday until the end of September! With performances, family activities and lots to eat and drink you're guaranteed a good day out - definitely worth the trip out of Lambeth.

Monday, 2 June 2014

Well I'm not sure how often I'll be able to do these posts, but I had to share this recipe as it's by far the best flapjack I've made!
On a search for different recipes (tried and tested) I settled upon this one from The Guardian and thought I would let you all in on it.
Baby A definitely had lots of fun making/eating/licking it and despite the fact that it was incredibly messy - I'm still finding porridge oats - it was worth it for the fun we had.

1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / gas 5 (150C / 300F / gas 2 if you prefer them chewy rather than crispy). Line a 30 x 20cm baking tin with baking parchment, cutting slits in each corner so it fits more neatly.2. Melt the butter in a small pan with the sugar, syrup and a pinch of salt. Stir well to combine, then take off the heat and stir in the oats. Press evenly into the tin and bake for 25 minutes for chewy, 30 minutes for crunchy, until set and golden. Allow to cool completely in the tin, but cut into squares a few minutes after they come out of the oven, before they harden.

This recipe makes 16.

I hope you enjoy them - let me know what you think & show us your photos on Twitter / Instagram / Facebook! (I just took at my pics of Ava & they were incredibly blurry - might be something to do with the golden syrup she was trying to drizzle all over the the floor)

Sunday, 1 June 2014

What's this - a new type of post? Oh yes indeed and one which I hope will be somewhat useful to all you parents trying to entertain the little ones on a rainy day.With the weather looking like it could go either way over the next couple of days I thought I would share a recipe that I've tweaked for your own 'DIY playdough' - it's come from Anna over at The Imagination Tree except she has beautiful photos, so please do head on over and check it out.You will need:- 2 cups plain flour- 2 tbsp vegetable oil- 1/2 cup salt- 2 tbsp cream of tartar- Up to 1.5 cups boiling water (adding a little at a time until it feels right)- Food colouring (this is optional, but it's always nice)- Edible glitter (definitely optional, but how much fun!)Method:- Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar & oil in large mixing bowl- Add food colouring to the boiling water, in turn add this to the dry ingredients (bit by bit!)- Stir continuously until it combines (it should be sticky!)- Allow it to cool down, remove from bowl & knead vigorously until it is no longer sticky (it took me about 3 minutes!)- If it is still sticky then add just a little flour until you get it just right.According to the wonderful Anna, if you keep this in an airtight container it can last up to 6 months!!!Perfect for those rainy days at home...